by Claire Adams
“Sit down,” Tony said, and I did. “I know you love Parker. It’s been obvious for a very long time—”
“No it hasn’t,” I said.
He rolled his eyes. “You can think what you want. But all of that doesn’t matter. He’s married now. And that changes everything.”
“I know,” I agreed.
“Parker should have been the one for you.”
My lips trembled slightly and tears filled my eyes. “I know.”
“So, what are we going to do about it now?”
I wiped at my eyes, attempting to dry up the tears before they flowed down my cheeks. I let out an exasperated breath. “Nothing. We’re going to do nothing. I’m going to move on with my life, just as he is.”
“Do you think you would ever be able to be friends with him again after this?”
“I don’t know. I mean, we’ve fought more in these past two weeks than we ever had before. Maybe we’ve both outgrown the friendship. I mean, most people don’t last this long.”
“I hate to play devil’s advocate here, but do you think maybe because you’ve lasted this long that you will be able to overcome it?”
“It’s possible. But not anytime soon. He knows how I feel about Rachel and how I feel about him. It’s going to be awkward for a while.”
“That’s very true.”
I let out a big breath. “Let’s just take it a day at a time. I don’t know the next time I will get a vacation. Especially not in such an awesome place as this.”
He finished his sandwich in two bites and grinned at me with a mouth full of food. “Then let’s get back out there.”
We spent the rest of the afternoon surfing and laying out on the beach with a cooler full of beer and lots of potato chips. I thought I was stuffed by the time we got back to the house, but when Tony fired up the grill for burgers, my stomach cleared the way for them. Not much about my life had changed from when I was at home. I was still surfing and eating junk food. So much had changed in my relationships. At that point, Parker was gone, as much as I hated to admit it. He was married now, and there was no way we could be together. Plus, he was probably still pissed at me for calling his wife a cheater. I knew what I’d heard, and whether or not he chose to approach her about it was up to him.
After dinner, Tony opened a bottle of white wine and we sat out on the balcony watching the sunset and listening to the steady crash of waves on the ocean.
“What are you thinking about?” Tony asked.
“What do you think?” I said to my wine glass.
Tony bobbed his head. “It’s bound to be tough for a little while, but I know you’ll bounce back.”
“Yeah.” I knew my life wasn’t over, only just a part of it. And that was going to have to be the new normal for me.
That night as I went to sleep, Parker’s face filled my mind. And I was able to let it float away while I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Parker
Normally I wasn’t a top-down convertible kind of guy, but today was a day of change for me. Before leaving the parking lot of the wedding venue, I opened the top. While I could still hear Rachel’s hysterical voice as I pulled onto the road, the wind filled my ears instead. I took a deep breath, thankful that the air moving across my face kept me from thinking this was anything but reality.
And what a reality it was. When the pastor asked me if I wanted to take Rachel as my wife, I just stared at her. Her expression went from happy to confused, to downright pissed.
“Parker,” she muttered under her breath then smiled at the guests. When she turned back to me, her expression was murderous. “Answer the question.”
“I don’t,” I said.
The group took a collective gasp of breath.
“What?” Rachel asked.
Holly started to giggle behind her and the other girls shushed her.
“I can’t do this,” I’d said. The words rang in my head even as I drove away from what could have been the worst mistake of my life.
I drew in a deep breath, inhaling the salty scent of the ocean. I glanced over to my left where the waves swelled toward the shore. I really wanted to go surfing at that moment. But I had something important to do first. And if I was going to go surfing at any point again, it would be with Sienna.
I hoped I wasn’t too late. I decided to go to Sienna’s house first since it was on the way to the diner. If her car wasn’t there, I’d at least be able to check that off my list.
I arrived at Sienna’s house. Her car was in the driveway. I wondered why she wasn’t working today. I hoped she wasn’t sulking at home because of the idiotic things I’d said to her. God, I was so stupid. When had I become that guy who was delusional in thinking his sexy girlfriend was a virgin and not a gold-digger? I had a lot to make up for.
At the wedding, I knew it wasn’t right to marry Rachel when I imagined my best friend walking down the aisle toward me. And then when the words, “I don’t,” instead of “I do,” filled my mind, that’s when the truth came out. Well, not from the horse’s mouth. First Rachel was infuriated, and then Ophelia spilled the beans about Rachel being with someone who was richer than me during her vacation and that she was better off.
Rachel had been properly mortified, and so was I. Not because of her, but because of how I didn’t trust my best friend when she had tried to warn me about Rachel.
Which was why I needed to apologize to Sienna as quickly as I could. I was prepared to beg for her forgiveness after having acted like the biggest fuck-up.
I knocked on her door and waited. I clenched and unclenched my hands at my sides, anxious for her to answer the door.
Instead of her beautiful face appearing behind an open door, I continued to stare at the wood. I tried two more times. Then I took a few steps back and assessed. I walked around the side of the house and peered in through her sliding doors. All of the lights were off, and there wasn’t any movement in the house.
I didn’t want to be a stalker and look in every window, so I tried the next logical step.
I dialed her number and held the phone up to my ear.
It rang through the speaker then I heard my ringtone coming from somewhere nearby. I looked up and saw her phone on the breakfast bar, buzzing along the edge of the counter. I quickly hung up before it vibrated to the floor.
I scratched the back of my neck. Sienna wasn’t glued to her phone like Rachel was, but she would have never left it anywhere that she wasn’t.
Was she hiding from me? I shook my head. I couldn’t imagine her being so childish.
Maybe her car wasn’t working and she forgot her phone when she got a ride? It was a stretch, but there was only one way to find out.
I drove over to the diner, imagining her surprised face when I showed up after my wedding without a bride. I knew she wouldn’t be able to forgive me for what I said right away, but I was prepared to work as long as it took to get her forgiveness. I had all the time in the world for her now that she had opened my eyes to the possibility that had been there for years. It was the only future I wanted, and I was going to risk it all and fight for us.
When I arrived at the diner, my heart sank. There weren’t any cars parked out front and I could see there was a white piece of paper taped to the front door. I parked my car in front of the entrance and left it idling as I climbed the steps to read the piece of paper.
Sienna and Tony are out of town for the weekend. Business as usual on Monday morning.
I touched the paper and traced the words with my finger. Sienna’s writing was more like a scrawl; I thought I had better handwriting than her. But even with the messy scribbles, the message was clear. She ran. Like she always did. This was my fault. If only I would have kept her as my best man, then we could have run out of the wedding together. She’d be by my side right now, instead of god knows where.
I turned around and faced the road. I shoved my hands into my pockets and took a deep breath. What was I suppos
ed to do now?
I got back into my car and sat there for a few minutes. Where the hell could she be? It was obvious that she and Tony went somewhere together. He was her other closest friend. I didn’t know if I’d be overstepping my boundaries if I went to his house. It probably would be. And if Sienna was going to run, she was going to run to a place where I couldn’t find her. Her home and her diner were the most precious places for her, and without her at either, I had no chance of finding her until she wanted to be found.
And if Sienna was in the running-mode, she’d be stubborn and possibly not open to what I wanted to say to her. It was a slippery slope.
I called Tony and the phone went right to voicemail. He was either avoiding me, too, or had his phone off. I decided it was the latter.
Defeated, I went home. I’d try Sienna and Tony again later, then tomorrow, then I’d have to go in there on Monday to see her. My news couldn’t wait, but it was obvious they didn’t want to be disturbed.
I didn’t have the energy to undress, so I grabbed a beer from the fridge and plopped down on the couch. The remote was a foot away from me, but I didn't bother turning on the television. I deserved to feel like shit for a little while longer. I had earned it.
I wallowed for a little while before my phone rang. I snatched it from my pocket.
I let out a breath when I realized it wasn’t Sienna. There was no reason for her to call, but I had some hope.
“Hello?” I said into the phone.
“Parker Liston, this is Gary Ingram from Supported Technologies. How are you?”
I sat up straighter and turned on my business tone. “Yes, good afternoon, Gary.”
“I was wondering if you had a chance to review the paperwork I sent over.”
I scratched my chin. I had, but I didn’t want him to think I was too eager. The deal was very good, but I still had to play this like a professional. If I was going to sell my prized company, it had to be to the right person who knew her worth. “Not yet. I was planning to this weekend.”
“Good, good,” Gary said. “Well, I wanted to inform you that we are prepared to sweeten the deal. We’ve seen the stocks in the company rise and we’re eager to sign the contract. But this is a limited time offer. For the entire thing. We don’t want to waste your time if you’re not interested.”
I was very interested. I had some new plans for my future and I wanted to sell the company so I would have the time to pursue them.
“I understand. How limited?”
“Not to be forward, but I’d like to schedule a meeting on Monday. My associates and I can fly down there once you give the word.”
I paused for a moment for effect. “Yes, I would be interested in that.”
“Great,” Gary said. I could hear him smiling over the line. “I’ll send you the details via email.”
“Sounds good.”
“Parker, we’re so anxious and excited to meet you.”
“Thank you.”
We closed the conversation with pleasantries and then I hung up. I tossed the phone onto the couch, and for the first time in days, I smiled.
With a little patience, everything would be in place soon. All I needed was Sienna by my side.
I got up from the couch, needing to take my tux off and put this disastrous wedding behind me.
I went into my bedroom and unclipped the flower from my lapel. For some reason, I didn’t want to throw it away. It had been a part of Rachel’s special day, but I thought of its other half. I imagined it with the corsage I’d left at the venue. The two matching flowers, sitting side by side. Together. As they should have been all along.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sienna
My alarm woke me bright and early Monday morning. Normally I would have hit the snooze button at least once, but I was ready to get back to work. Our time away from home was short, but also very restful for my mind and spirit. I didn’t expect any communication with Parker, but when I got home the night before I saw I had a missed call from Saturday afternoon. I wondered what he wanted. By then he would have married Rachel. Maybe he figured out she was a gold-digger too late and called to apologize after he found out she did cheat on him.
I highly doubted that’s what happened. He probably misdialed me since he didn’t leave a message or a text. Besides, I was over all of this. That’s what the weekend away was for. Moving on. And that’s what I intended to do.
When I got to the diner, Tony was sitting on the back steps, as usual, waiting for me.
“Good morning, sunshine,” he said.
“Sunshine?”
“I could see the light from your smile a mile away.”
I forced a frown.
“Aw, don’t be like that. It was a compliment.”
I laughed. “You’re right. I feel good. I’m happy. Everything is different, and I’m okay with that.”
“I should take you away more often.”
“I would like that, but we might have to hire someone to watch Sunny’s or else I’d lose my business.”
“I’m going to get a lottery ticket today and play some big numbers. I’d take a cut in my paycheck to see you happy.”
“You’re sweet.”
“Sweet as pie,” he said. “Come on, let’s get back to work.”
For some reason, every time the bell tinkled when the front door opened, my whole body tensed. Each time I expected to see Parker walk through that door. Then I’d had to remind myself that he was married to Rachel, and they were off somewhere on a honeymoon, probably getting very acquainted with each other. Of course, then I would feel nauseous, and the whole process would repeat the next time someone came into the diner.
When I saw Harriet come through the door, my mood immediately lifted. The other customers were all taken care of, so I went out there to greet her.
“Good morning, Harriet,” I said.
She took my hands and gave me a small smile.
I glanced over her shoulder. “Is Kenneth parking the car?”
“Could you get me some coffee, please?” she asked.
I tilted my head to the side, inspecting her face. Her eyes were bloodshot.
I threw a glance at Tony who was still in the kitchen. His eyebrows drew together.
I went over to the serving station, and Tony came up beside me. “What’s up?”
“Something is wrong with Harriet.”
I brought over the mug of coffee and Tony and I sat on the other side of the booth. “What happened?” I asked, my throat thick.
Harriet took a long sip of her coffee then placed it down. Her red eyes flicked up to us. “Kenneth passed away on Saturday.”
I clamped a hand over my mouth, choking back a sob. “Oh my god. Harriet, I’m so sorry.”
She sniffed and nodded.
Tony reached across the table and took her hand. “Kenneth was a good man.”
“He was,” she said.
I felt like such an ass. I wondered if she’d tried to come here and tell us the bad news this weekend. She didn’t have family in the area, and she never really talked about her friends. She’d said many times that Tony and I were her family. And we had been gallivanting on the beach when she needed us the most.
“What happened?” I asked.
Harriet sighed. “As you know, he’s been sick for some time. But he had a heart attack early Saturday morning. The doctor said it was painless for him, so I suppose that’s one positive out of the whole thing.”
A family of four came into the diner and Tony and I both turned around.
“I got them,” Tony said, slipping out of the booth. “I’ll be back soon. Do you want anything to eat, Harriet?”
“No, thank you,” she said.
It broke my heart that she couldn’t even eat. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh, nothing. I just wanted to come here. Yesterday I had to do all the arrangements and I wanted to find a place to reminisce about him without looking at another coffin. And being home is
too painful. I’m stuck there enough already.”
“When is the funeral?” I asked.
“It’s at three today,” she said. “I’m actually quite afraid that no one will show up. We’re so old, we’ve already lost a lot of our friends. And all I have left is my sister, but she’s in a nursing home up north with dementia.”
“Harriet,” I said firmly. “Tony and I will be there for you.”
“I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad,” she said. “I only wanted to let you know. I’ll understand if it’s a bad time.”
I took her hand and squeezed it. “You’re a part of our family. We’re going to be right up there with you.”
Harriet’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you, Sienna.”
“I’m going to close the diner after these customers—”
“You don’t—”
“Hush, Harriet,” I said with a small smile. “You’re not going to change my mind. We’re going to close up and come with you to do whatever you need to before the funeral.”
“I did want to pick up some flowers,” she said.
“And I know a really good florist,” I said.
I slid out of the booth and headed for the kitchen. Her loss had brought mine into perspective. I hid from my best friend and the man that I loved all weekend while Harriet dealt with the loss of her best friend.
Once I was in there, I pressed my back against the wall and shed a few tears for Kenneth. I was sure to be full of waterworks for the funeral, but the shock was just catching up to me. He’d been chronically ill, but they always managed to come into the diner like clockwork.
This whole situation was like a slap in the face. Life was short. What the hell was I doing by being so pissed at Parker?
Tony handed me a napkin and I dabbed at my cheeks. I didn’t want Harriet to see me this way. I had to be strong for her.
I opened the office supplies drawer and ripped a piece of paper from the notebook inside. I scribbled down a note for any other customers that would come by today.
Family emergency. The diner is closed until tomorrow.